BY RODRICK DESURI
Auki
The Atoifi Adventist Hospital staff and School of Nursing students celebrated World Malaria Day on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at Atoifi, East Kwaio, Malaita Province.
World Malaria Day is originally celebrated every April 25, and this year it fell on a Sabbath day, so the celebration was moved to Wednesday, April 29, with the theme “United Against Malaria.”
According to the hospital IT Officer, Harry Samuel, the day was attended by a large number of community members from the Atoifi communities.
He said that during the celebration, vital information relating to malaria, prevention measures, talks, messages, quizzes, and speeches were delivered.
He said that the main highlight of the celebration was a drama depicting the effects of sharing a malaria dose with other patients.
“The main highlight of the event was the drama, which showed the effects of sharing a malaria dose with another sick patient,” he said.
He said that before the event, the Atoifi Adventist Hospital staff and students held a cleanup session around their houses and dorms, for which they also received a consolation prize.
He encourages the communities in Eastern Malaita to visit any clinic close to them to take the correct malaria dose and avoid sharing, as it can result in serious illness or death.
“We encourage our good people of the eastern part of Malaita to please avoid sharing malaria doses, as it can result in death. When you feel that you have malaria, take the full complete dose and don’t share it,” he said.
In the meantime, he thanked the community members for attending the event to learn and gain more information about how malaria spreads, prevention measures, and standing against malaria.
Based on 2024–2025 data, Central Islands Province, Temotu Province, and Malaita Province are the provinces in the Solomon Islands with the highest numbers of malaria cases and the highest incidence rates (Annual Parasite Incidence – API) according to Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network.
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